Issue - meetings

If successful in its bid to the Weekly Collections Support fund the Council must commit to keeping weekly refuse collections until 2016/17.  This report seeks approval for this commitment in accepting any offer of funding.

Councillor Michael Evans in an ad hoc statement said that he hoped the Council would support weekly collections, even if the funding application was not successful.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson agreed with Councillor Evans that weekly collections were important to local communities.

Councillor Geoff Ward in an ad hoc statement emphasised that there was good evidence that moving to fortnightly collections increased the pest problems associated with waste.

Councillor David Dixon in proposing the item, said that weekly collections were a luxury rather than a statutory service; but the Cabinet had high hopes of retaining weekly collections at least until 2016/17 if the application for £1.6M from DCLG was successful.  He observed that the food waste collection was weekly and gave credit to Councillor Charles Gerrish, who had introduced that scheme.  He said that Cabinet still aimed to increase the recycling rates in the authority.

Councillor Paul Crossley seconded the proposal.  He said he was passionate about recycling and hoped the government would keep its pledge.  He pointed out that if the funding was not awarded, then the issue of weekly residual waste collection would have to be considered by the Council.

On a motion from Councillor David Dixon, seconded by Paul Crossley, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(1) To AGREE that if a funding award is made by DCLG from the weekly collections support fund:

(a) The Council commits to keeping a weekly refuse collection service until 2016/17 and, assuming that the award is for the full amount of the bid, allocates £1.6 million to do this;

(b) The Council allocates the remainder of the funding awarded to projects which are designed to minimise and recycle more waste.

(2) To DELEGATE authority to the Divisional Director of Environmental Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods to agree the detail of the award and the delivery of associated projects with DCLG; and

(3) To NOTE that Council as part of its budget setting process will consider the allocation of resources towards achieving its waste and recycling objectives in the light of the money available from DCLG and the conditions attached thereto.